Alfa Romeo to be "safest car ever"

Alfa Romeo's new Giulietta is aiming to be the safest car on sale today, according to the car's product manager Matteo Benedetto.

"We think it will be the safest car Euro NCAP has ever tested," said Benedetto.

Alfa has based the Giulietta on a brand new platform that has been developed with safety at the forefront, and includes what it says are several innovative lightweight materials to achieve this. The rear bumper beam, for example, is made from Xenoy, a type of thermoplastic that is said to have excellent energy absorption properties.

As well as these plastics, Alfa has also been generous with its use of aluminium, and as a result the car weighs 41kg less than were it to be built with standard materials.

The car is currently still being tested by NCAP, so results are not yet available, but Alfa expects it to match the Mito's maximum five star rating, even under the new, tougher guidelines that were introduced in 2009.